The Reason
by sunkissedchris
Summary: The acts of the guilty led to the death of an innocent. There is a reason why Ponyboy doesn’t like girls or the fuzz.


*I don't own _The Outsiders._ The lyrics are owned by Brand New. The title of the song is "The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot."

I know this will seem out of character. In the book, Ponyboy didn't like girls or the fuzz, so I decided to make a reason up for that and this is what I got.

Summary: The acts of the guilty led to the death of an innocent. There is a reason why Ponyboy doesn't like girls or the fuzz.

(Third Person Point of View)

* * *

The door crashed in and everyone jumped. All voices came to a halt and someone cut the music off immediately. The house was located on the East Side, the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak.

Ponyboy was spending the night with his friends from school. More importantly, he was spending time with his girlfriend Melissa. The curly haired blonde had nestled herself into the young boy's heart. They'd been friends for years. In fact, Johnny Cade had introduced the two when they were only eight years old.

Some say, they're too young to understand what love really is. Maybe it's true. One thing for sure, was there was that special spark between the two. They made each other happy, it was more than enough for the two Greasers who grew up on the tough side of town.

The two of them looked around in bewilderment as the police came crashing through the door; they're guns were raised. Yelling and pandemonium presumed. Alcohol and drugs were scattered around the rooms. It was something that was expected to show up, one way or another, to a party.

But, drugs weren't something you wanted to get caught near when the fuzz was around. Ponyboy was sure Darry would have his head later on. He wasn't sure what to do. Him and Melissa stood next to one another, starring, completely unsure what to do.

Despite the people they hung out with and the party they were attending, they had an innocence about them. Both knew this was something they should run from. That's what Dallas Winston would do. That's what Darry would want them to do, so they wouldn't get hauled in by the police.

The recent death of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had hit Pony rather hard. His brothers had been happy he was going out with his girlfriend tonight. However, something like this could get him taken away. He could get sent to a boy's home or sent off to stay with a foster family he doesn't know.

It was one of his worse fears, and it just might be coming true.

Both teens knew it was impossible to run and not get caught. The place was surrounded and people were getting tackled left and right. The two had to dodge a multitude of other people. They were scared and weren't sure where to go.

They wanted to get out of the way. They would listen to what they were being told. Both had respectable parents who engraved good morals and manners into them as children. Of course, they were worried about the consequences of being here. Ponyboy's consequences were more of a concern to Melissa than her own. The worse that would happen to her was being grounded for the rest of her life, she could deal with that if she had to.

She didn't think she could deal without seeing Ponyboy. They'd been together since the moment boys and girls got over cooties. She loved him with all her heart. Even if she did get grounded, she would see him at school. She didn't want him to get sent away.

The Curtis brothers shouldn't be taken apart. They're good for each other. She wasn't sure how Pony could deal without his brothers. He'd already lost so much, he didn't need this party to bring him more misery.

There was a commotion across the room. Someone didn't want to cooperate. In the chaos, the fuzz drew out the guns that had originally been there for show. Shots were fired.

Screams ran through the room as the police struggled to control the crowd.

The acts of the guilty led to the death of an innocent.

Ponyboy Curtis watched with horror as Melissa whimpered in his arms. A wild shot from the police had imbedded itself into her torso. She was losing blood and losing it fast. Ponyboy tried in desperation to keep her calm and awake.

No one noticed the two in the corner of the room until it was too late. Ponyboy cradled the ash faced corpse of his girlfriend and cried. He pleaded with her to come back. He couldn't loose her so soon after losing his parents. His heart broke and he couldn't do anything about it.

Nobody could do anything.

After that, everything passed in a blur for Pony. A few different officers tried to coax him to coming outside and leaving Melissa behind; he refused to leave her. They had to resort to force and Ponyboy through a tantrum. Tears and pleads, he just wanted to wake up from this nightmare. He didn't want to believe something like this could happen to his angel.

Worse of all, her death was by the hands of those who vowed to protect the innocents of the city. The harsh irony wasn't lost on Ponyboy, who made a promise to himself to point it out to all of the officers who tried to calm the young kid down.

Pony was at the fragile age of thirteen, he shouldn't have to deal with this. He shouldn't have to see the true horrors of the world. He should just enjoy life and not worry about a thing, yet he just watched his girlfriend die before him.

He listened to her last words, "Love you, PB."

One thing for sure, no one would ever call him that again.

The red and blue flashing lights blurred with the gray back round of the city buildings. His heart was heavy and he felt sick to his stomach as he sat in the back of the police car. The rusty smell of blood assaulted him with every breath he took.

He was tested for drinking and drug abuse at the station. His oldest brother, Darrel Curtis, was called to come pick his little brother up. Darry, with the rest of the gang, were coming. Some found it hilarious that the youngest of the group was being picked up from the local station.

Different theories about why Pony was at the police station passed between them all, much to Darry's annoyance. He'd be having a word or two with his little brother. It had been hard for all of them to loose their parents. Dar was trying his best to figure out this parenting role, he didn't need this. He didn't want to know his brother was in jail; that meant he was failing.

Two-Bit Matthews, Dallas Winston, Steve Randle, and Johnny Cade all waited in the back of the truck while Darry went to get Ponyboy. The middle Curtis, Sodapop, insisted coming with Darry. He hadn't been amused by the gang's jokes. He was concerned for his little brother. He didn't want him to get in trouble. Pony took their parents' deaths extremely hard, Soda didn't want him to try to move on by becoming some hood and getting into trouble with the law all the time.

Soda couldn't watch his little brother go through that. He wouldn't watch that. As a child, Soda promised his Mom, the day Pony was born, that he would always protect him like a good big brother. Soda was going to make good on that promise. He'd help Darry with the parenting role.

He'd save Ponyboy from whatever he needed saving from, including himself.

Ponyboy Cutis was sitting across from the counter where all the police sat behind. He could see others from the party going through the same testing he went through. Some were being thrown behind bars at that very moment.

He waited for his brothers in a hard chair that hurt his butt. He didn't really care. He tried to keep the tears at bay, but they wouldn't stay away for long. At least, he wasn't sobbing. He would do that at home.

His grief had leapt to a new all time high. He thought he learned what grief was a couple months ago. This hurt more, he loved Melissa.

Ponyboy was distracted with his thoughts and didn't notice his brothers until Soda was kneeling right in front of him. He blinked blankly as Soda repeated his former question, "What happened?! Are you hurt?"

Soda's hands were running over his brother, him and Darry were horrified with the amount of blood on Ponyboy's shirt and pants. Unfortunately, Pony had worn a white t-shirt, the reddish brown color of dried blood stood out brightly from the white. His jeans and shirt were ruined. Ponyboy slapped Soda's hands away.

"I ain't hurt." Pony's voice cracked. Darry was kneeling next to him too, his rough hand rubbing his brothers shoulder. The motion was sending the small teen some warmth, Pony hadn't realized how cold it was in the station.

"What happened, Pony?" Darry asked, gently.

A sob broke through Pony's small body and he shook with heartache he was trying to suppress. He leaned his face into Soda's shoulder and kept chanting the same thing over and over, "She's...gone...she's gone...she's..gone," he chocked out.

"Who..Melissa?" Soda said slowly, disbelieving. It was true, Pony's girlfriend was missing and they wouldn't have left one another's sides. They were two peas in a pod, in Soda's mind.

Not trusting his voice, Pony nodded. Both of his older brothers were at a lost as to what to say. They silently hauled Ponyboy to his feet after he got himself together. They warned him about the gang waiting outside. He didn't respond.

As the Curtis family made they're way to the door, the gang was about to jump right into the jokes they had prepared for Ponyboy. That was, until they caught sight of the pale faced, red swollen eyed teen who was covered in blood.

"Dear God, what happened!?" Two-Bit said hopping over the side.

Pony shook his head mumbling incoherently under his breath. He opened the back door to the Ford truck and laid out across the back on his stomach. He buried his watering eyes in the crook of his arm. For the first time, he wondered what would happen when he saw Melissa's parents at her funeral.

That was a worry for another day.

Johnny had followed Pony into the back, but got no where with the teen. Soda and Darry filled the gang in that Melissa had died. That was the extent of the information they had. They'd either have to wait to see the story in the paper the following morning, or wait for Ponyboy to come around.

They all headed home in stony silence, except for the sniffling you could hear from Ponyboy.

They say what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

* * *

_If it makes you less sad  
I will die by your hand  
I hope you find out what you want  
I already know what I am  
And if it makes you less sad  
We'll start talking again  
And you can tell me how vile  
I already know that I am_

_I'll grow old  
And start acting my age  
I'll be a brand new day  
In a life that you hate  
A crown of gold  
A heart that's harder than stone  
And it hurts a whole lot  
But it's missed when it's gone_

_Call me a safe bet  
I'm betting I'm not  
I'm glad you that can forgive  
Only hoping as time goes  
You can forget_

_If it makes you less sad  
I'll move out of the state  
You can keep to yourself  
I'll keep out of your way  
And if it makes you less sad  
I'll take your pictures all down  
Every picture you paint  
I will paint myself out  
It's as cold as a tomb  
And it's dark in your room  
When I sneak to your bed  
To pour salt in your wounds  
So call it quits  
Or get a grip  
Say you wanted a solution  
You just wanted to be missed_

_Call me a safe bet  
I'm betting I'm not  
I'm glad that you can forgiveI'm only hoping as time goes  
You can forget  
So you can forget  
You can forget_

_You are calm and reposed  
Let your beauty unfold  
Pale white like the skin  
Stretched over your bones  
Spring keeps you ever close  
You are second hand smoke  
You are so fragile and thin  
Standing trial for your sins  
Holding onto yourself the best you can  
You are the smell before the rain  
You are the blood in my veins_

_Call me a safe bet  
I'm betting I'm not  
I'm glad that you can forgive  
I'm only hoping as time goes  
You can forget_

* * *

A little out of character, but this was a story showing how Ponyboy got to be how he is in the book.

Please give me your thoughts. Reviews are wonderful!

Please excuse typos.

Whoo, first snowday of the year!


End file.
